The pairing of David Harrow and Red Snapper has resulted in a superb new EP on Lo Recordings. Tight Chest finds the legendary keyboardist (On-U Sound, African Head Charge, Dub Syndicate, etc.) joined up with the equally-legendary UK-based sound collective. This is short, but it's momentous.
"Hold My Hand Up" rides a dub-ish hook forward, vocals careening around atop it. The smoother "ModSnap" is precise synth-pop, though there's something ominous lurking in the grooves. Elsewhere, the bass-heavy "Lucky Strike" nods in the direction of the kind of future jazz that usually punctuates records by Barry Adamson. The sensibility is the same, and the music, of course, defies easy categorization. The glorious title track is the clear highlight here. A bed of funky drums underpins hints of keyboard figures and faint splashes of vocals and guitar. Stunningly heavy, this is a superb cut that neatly blends the legacies of both Red Snapper and Harrow via On-U Sound.
With Ali Friend (Double Bass, Vocals and Gato drum) in London and Rich Thair (Drums) in Wales, and David Harrow (keyboards, synths, etc.) in Los Angeles, Tight Chest was done remotely. You'd never know it. It sounds like these cats were hunkering down in an East End bunker, cooking up grooves and hooks that would hypnotize devotees. Tight Chest should be a lot longer so here's hoping that these folks get together again in 2025.
Tight Chest by Red Snapper with David Harrow is out now via Lo Recordings. Details via Bandcamp below too.
More details on Red Snapper via the official site.